Crossed Paths
by Kurogane7
Summary: AU: A professional thief comes across a professional assassin. When they meet again, will their relationship be merely professional, or will it become something more? Yuffentine and other pairings, rated M for violence, and possible lemons.
1. Rumors

**_A/N: Okay, fine…since people have not been giving me reviews as of late, I've decided to start on a new story…if only to experiment. This is inspired by Valentine's Ninja's "Princess of Thieves"…and so to you Valentine's Ninja, if you're reading this, I thank you for being such a good writer. As usual per new stories, your reviews will determine whether or not this story is continued, so do read and review would you kindly?_**

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><p>Things were looking up in this job…the piece that would be taken was a very beautiful work of art, but that was not what was important to her, nor was it her primary objective. It was partially the motive for the girl wearing a form-fitting stealth suit had enjoyed about her work as a professional thief…the adrenaline rush was always there to make her feel that high she needed to get through the day. It also filled her with pride that she managed to get the jump on a hired thug using a combination of a taser and a fast-acting sedative—she also enjoyed stepping on the unconscious thug's body. "How are things looking with the security?"<p>

The com link buzzed, as a woman's voice filled the earpiece. "Tough, but nothing we can't manage. You have fifteen minutes to get to the objective before the mobile lasers are back online, and the loop feeds we have on the cameras start showing the real picture. This is possibly the highest-paying job we've ever done. I guess it's time to put that ninja blood in your veins into overdrive Chou."

After having her bit of fun, the thief named Chou picked up the impromptu security guard and placed him in such a manner that he would look like he was sleeping on the job. "Roger that Neko, I'm in the security office now standing on the unconscious body of a hired thug. Tell Hana that it's time to start her part of the job."

"She's working on it…in fact the interference should be starting right about…now!"

Chou reached for the doorknob and began to move silently through the darkness of the mansion. The owner of this mansion was a fat man…one you shouldn't mess with if you were an average person. Luckily for Chou, she wasn't an average person, which was why Kisaragi Godo had always entrusted her to thieving operations whenever necessary. Such was how this part of the world worked…everybody had to be skilled at something, whether you were a soldier, a politician, a merchant, even a bum had a niche to fill. In her case however, her job was more like…repossession and confiscation in the most subtle way possible. This target was a valuable item with historical value…so much value in fact, that it should belong to a museum…of her choosing. As she moved quickly through the gallery, she found one of the things that she was looking for!

A perfectly cut blue diamond set in an ornate golden necklace of unimaginable craftsmanship and beauty with a heavy Nibelheim-influenced design…legend had it that this necklace was a family heirloom to a noble in Nibelheim. The nobleman fell in love with a woman and was about to present it as a gift to her before marrying her. The problem was despite the fact that she returned the love given to her by the daimyo in equal measure, the fact remained was a peasant…and so the nobleman hatched a plan to elope with the peasant woman—he worked day and night in secret to make preparations for his plan, and to make sure that his property would be in good hands when he left. He spirited the peasant woman away and he presented his family heirloom to her before marrying her. It was said that there was only one like it, and it was a true masterpiece…the necklace was lost forever to the ravages of time, and it seemed to have found its way to a gallery.

This piece of work would have to wait; right now, Chou had bigger fish to fry…and that fish was a particular file in the study. This file contained enough incriminating evidence to put the monster that owned this mansion behind bars. This was one of the main reasons she worked for Godo Kisaragi as her primary client…to make sure that the bad guys go to jail. From there, she started moving swiftly and silently through the rooms…she only had five minutes left! She'd better hurry if she wanted to get her hands on that file and then that necklace!

After about another five minutes of running around, and she finally found what she was looking for…she wasted no time and began downloading the files from the computer. This was taking longer than expected, and now she only had one minute left…the only option would be to sneak out the window of the boss' office. A few minutes were spent finding the receipts and the journal entries before she hit the jackpot. "Come on! Come on! Let's go already!" she whispered to herself. It was then that the files had finished downloading, and she started running back out the room. Thirty seconds left! She lifted the bell jar over the necklace, grabbed it, and stuffed it in her messenger bag before she ran faster…the guards would be here soon!

Ten seconds left…

Almost there!

Nine…

She opened the door and quickly shut it behind her!

Eight…

She unlatched the hinged ventilation grate.

Seven…

Chou stepped on the desk and used it as a spring board.

Six…

She jumped up and into the ventilation shaft.

Five…

The ventilation grate was closed shut.

Four…

The latch was replaced.

Three…

The door opened.

Two…

Chou started crawling away.

One…

The thug's partner had returned for his shift at the cameras only to slap his partner awake.

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><p>Neko sat by in the van. Worry was racking her mind as she kept on hearing sporadic chatter from the security force…although she did find herself laughing at the predicament of the hired thugs as they were being chewed out by their boss. Yes, worry was the predominant emotion in the van despite the fun she was having. Hana, their electronics expert was a little more open with her concern. "You think she's going to be fine in this job?"<p>

"Usually she'll give us a communications…although judging by the yelling I'm hearing, it's likely that she should be here by now." No sooner than she had finished the sentence, the van had opened on cue with Chou panting. "Well speak of the devil. How did it go? You get hurt?"

"Teef, you of all people should know that I'm fine! But since you asked so nicely, I'll have you know that I managed to get both objectives."

"You do realize you were cutting it real close right there weren't you Yuffs?"

"You didn't think I knew that? You know what, forget about it, Aeris just drive the hell away and get us to the nearest bar we can find. We're celebrating tonight's victory."

Aeris smiled and started the van. "I'll drink to that!"

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><p>The next day…<p>

He sat around at the bar sipping his coffee in District 7. The Seventh Heaven was a reputable bar owned by the Lockheart family…who in turn owed the Kisaragi family for a favor. While Godo Kisaragi was known to be a gang leader of sorts, he was not the sort of gangster that dealt with drugs or casinos, or even money scams of any kind—no, his type of gang was the gang of vigilantes he runs behind the scenes. His reputation for getting the job done had made him a person lawyers could trust to get solid evidence to back up their clients' claims of injustice…assuming of course said clients were actually in the right. He did not get to be a vigilante gang leader for nothing after all.

"I trust that last night's activities went well?"

The girl that walked on over to Godo's table had a bit of a smug grin on her face. "It was a bit harder, but I managed to get all the files."

"You didn't manage to get yourself a bonus did you?"

"Yeah…although Tifa seemed to chew me out for a bit due to how close I was cutting it."

"You do realize that if you keep doing that, I might have to disown you? But enough of this banter…do you have it on you?"

The girl slipped a thumb drive into the older man's hand. "All the data from the computer I could get is in that drive. Hopefully we'll put Carlos Villalobos into jail with this amount of information."

"And the case is closed. You did well Yuffie."

"Just cross your fingers that he rots in prison." No sooner than she said that until a young woman with wine-colored eyes walked up with a tray carrying an extra cup of coffee. "And here's to prison for Villalobos." The two of them toasted in celebration for the successful mission. Yuffie and Godo drank up their coffees—it would have been sake, but the policy on these premises was that alcohol was only to be served starting around 10:30 in the morning.

Putting her mug down, Yuffie looked at Godo with an eager look in her eyes. "All that aside old man, is there another job for me to perform? I can tell by your eyes that something else has come up."

"I'd rather you not do it Yuffie. True, many of your ancestors were exceptional ninja in the art of theft, but even they had limits. Do it too often and I'll accuse you of being an adrenaline junkie and a workaholic! No, you need to lay low for a while and unwind…I'll let you know of the next job."

"Godo, I promise you that the second I take care of this job I'll take a vacation…and probably bring back some illegitimate grandchildren for you. Nah, I'm just kidding…but I'm serious about the vacation bit."

"Yuffie…I'm really certain that this job will be too hard for you."

"Lay it on me. I'll be the judge of that."

Godo knew that stubbornness…and he cursed the fact that that girl could be so stubborn. But then again, so was he. "Very well then; how much did you hear about Don Corneo?"

"This and that…I've heard stories that he was practically in charge of the Sector 5 slums. Does the works; his rap sheet would be the size of a phone book if you could count even the minor crimes he's committed."

"Well my client is after Corneo himself."

The look of outrage was clear on Yuffie's face as she almost spit the coffee back into the cup. "Is he bored of living? Corneo is practically untouchable…I despise the man over all other gang leaders for what he did to us, but there's no way he can get a lawsuit over him."

Godo understood the reason behind the outburst, and he didn't blame her. Don Corneo was untouchable because he always had a perfect alibi for every crime he ever committed. Coupled in with the fact that he has lawyers that would rather strangle babies in their cribs than to lose a case, and that people were too scared to stand up to him, and you have someone that is practically invincible. "That's what I thought…but then I learned that he had witnessed his daughter getting raped by Corneo. If you do this, then don't bother with the valuables…just go in, get the information, and get out as fast as you can."

Yuffie looked at her client with curiosity in her eyes. Godo rarely _ever_ asked for a rush job, and it showed whenever he asked her to forgo any bonus she might earn from a job. Whatever it was about that job's speed requirement must have been important enough to know. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

"You've heard about the string of assassinations that have been going on as of late have you?"

"Yeah…so far, there were ten high-profile assassinations in the past six months or so. All of the assassinated people were crime bosses who seemed to be too full of themselves and were apparently very powerful—so powerful in fact, that many assassins would rather work for them rather than against them despite the rather high price on their heads. Police have suspected a lone hitman being responsible for those kills…and not just any hitman, but a full-blown professional assassin."

"There's a rumor circulating around the underworld that Don Corneo has finally gained that price on his head. Most assassins would flock at the chance to work for him knowing how much money he is worth, but this assassin would kill all the bosses that gained a price that big on their heads—and even worse, nobody knows who it is that's been ending them. All that's known about the assassin so far is that he goes after high-profile gang bosses…and he apparently uses random methods to ensure they die a quick and painless death—mostly up-close and personal due to the fact that so far, many of the victims were found in isolated locations with knife wounds or gunshot wounds caused by .45ACP rounds. You still want to pull this job?"

She didn't know what to say…the fact that that rumor was being circulated meant that Don Corneo would be on the defensive, making the job all the more difficult. And if the rumors were true, then that would mean that she had to _really_ move fast before Corneo gets assassinated. She felt the fear creep up on her spine at the prospect that this was her most dangerous mission yet. That was until it was quashed by the promise of pure adrenaline filling her veins. With that said, she let out the dangerous words that may or may not have condemned herself to a most painful death. "I'm in."

Godo sighed. He should have known better. It was then that he opened up the briefcase and pulled out a manila folder. "Here's everything I managed to gather for you…it wasn't easy at all to get this information. If I give you this, you have to promise me that you'll be extra careful on this job. I've already lost your mother to men like Corneo…I refuse to lose my only daughter as well."

Yuffie only smiled as she took the file. She knew how much her father loved her. "Don't worry about it Dad. I'll come back to you alive…I've yet to give you those illegitimate grandchildren after all. Besides, I've always wanted to see him behind bars after what he did; not just to your client, but also to mom…this is the day I've been waiting for."

"I know. But once you take this mission, you'd better be sure to go all the way…once started, there's no turning back. All I ask is that you come back to me alive."

She picked up her purse and left. But not without kissing Godo on the cheek.

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><p><strong><em>Songs Used:<em>**

**_"Kasumi Goto Stolen Memories: Infiltration" from "Mass Effect 2"—the thieving job._**

**_"Ten Wolf Suite" by Noriyuki Asakura from "Rurouni Kenshin"—discussing the next job_**

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><p><strong><em>VocabularyCulture Notes:_**

**_Chou—Japanese for 'Butterfly'_**

**_Neko—Japanese for 'Cat'_**

**_Hana—Japanese for 'Flower', but can also mean 'Nose' depending on the spelling._**


	2. Unexpected

_**A/N: You can thank time spent watching Michael Westen rampaging around Miami to clear his name off the "Burn Notice" for this story. I rather liked the pilot episode where he got rid of his drug dealer neighbor using duct tape, a utility knife, a drywall knife, a screwdriver, an improvised silencer, and of course a handy-dandy handgun. As usual, do read and review would you kindly?**_

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><p>Five days later, Sector 5 slums…Don Corneo's manor…<p>

Binoculars are a very nifty tool to have whether for bird-watching, or for scoping out the perimeter of a target's house and tends to be the most basic set of equipment for almost any job in the outdoors. Yuffie knew that she needed to work fast and get a good idea for the place. A map could give you a guideline as to where everything was, but to actually get more detailed information such as movements inside the area and even the numbers against you, one need only be there themselves. It was dangerous given how it would be easy to get spotted…but this job would be considered the dish best served cold. It was personal, and so vengeance would be hers, regardless…hell, she'd pull this job for free if only to watch Don Corneo's face in outrage!

As she gazed around the property, she heard the buzzing of the walkie-talkie. It was Tifa. "How are things looking Chou?"

"Not an easy job at all Neko. I don't see how the hitman might be able to get in close as per his reputation and get out undetected. So far, I've counted forty-five guards and about twenty dogs. The mansion is also quite small, and Corneo hardly ever leaves his room. In addition to that, his sign is owned by Deepground Securities."

A different voice had replaced Tifa's. It was Aeris' voice…in addition to her vast knowledge on flowers and how to run a flower shop, her skills as a hacker were way up there. "I've heard of Deepground Securities. They're said to be top-notch…everybody wants them, and they have a good reputation with a very good customer service program. This has got to be the hardest hack I've ever pulled off…and out of curiosity, what's the ETA for this job before the assassin is supposed to come in and kill Corneo?"

"It's just a rumor Hana, nothing more. But if he's as smart as I think he is, he'll probably forget about it. I highly doubt a professional would touch this price with a ten-foot pole when it's this secure. Maybe if we're lucky, he won't show up at all and the job is not compromised. But in any case we want this place behind us in one week tops. Can you hack it?"

"I'm already working on it. In the meantime, you get yourself ready—you're going to need every sneaky and bouncy drop of that ninja blood in you to get in and get out. After I get into the system, we're ready to go. It should be in about five days, so you should be ready by then."

"Okay girls, we got what we need here. Let's move."

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><p>Meanwhile…<p>

From the other side of the binoculars, a man watched from the shadows as he studied his target. Time as a soldier taught him discipline and strength…and being a former special operations trooper added the hunter's stealth, cunning, and patience to his vocabulary. His training in the armed forces had indeed taught him many things, but to actually learn the art of adaptation was a skill he picked up during the last war.

The man in the shadows had concluded that Don Corneo would not be an easy mark…the man would not be leaving the mansion any time now, not with rumors of his past attacks circulating. The man had done many things, but what he had done most recently was crossing the line…the list of crimes attributed to Don Corneo were great in number; murders, thefts, plenty of rapes, and even bribery, but they were all small time compared to the last straw that broke the camel's back. The act that finally got him that price on his head was the rape, torture, and murder of the daughters of two very powerful gang bosses…following the robbery of a government weapons supply train. The government agent who had found the assassin had to go by connections…he was a freelancer after all, and the total pay was enough for anybody to retire…but money was not what he was after despite its utility to his cause. There just HAD to be a way to kill Corneo…if he continued as he was, many civilians would get caught in the crossfire of a future gang war and the amount of money being siphoned already in Sector 5 would escalate to the point that the corruption among officials would be seen in the open with nobody to stop it, and he can't have that.

With that, the man in the shadows turned around, and walked away—he'll find a way to bring that fat and disgusting pig down…and especially for the girl he had reportedly raped almost eight days ago…yes, a bit of vengeance was indeed called for on the behalf of the poor girl. Judging from his calculations, it'll take roughly five days before he is ready to attack…in that time, he'll have to prepare for plan B. As he left, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was not alone in this job…

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><p>The next morning…<p>

Yuffie was jogging around the slums…she had spent the last two hours getting trained up for her eventual attack at the manor of Don Corneo. This was her most ambitious project yet…and so she'll have to work at it for the best results, which was why she was jogging around the slums. Such a seemingly mundane exercise was also necessary as a backup plan should she be unable to escape via the getaway vehicle so that she gets to know the area better. Another legitimate excuse she was using was that there was a marathon coming up in the Sector 5 slums, and she wanted in on the prize money—although she had an unfair advantage over the other people running the full 26.2 miles, and she knew it.

Before long, she ran into someone. The collision had knocked the both of them down. "Hey! Watch where you're…" before she could finish that sentence, she got a good look at the person she ran into as she started getting back up. She could not believe what she was seeing…the man she had run into had long, disheveled black hair held up by a red headband that framed the elegant features of his pale face. She could tell he was biracial due to the structure of his face and his body…probably part Wutainese if the almond-shaped eyes behind his small rectangle-frame sunglasses were any indication (likely one of the Han people judging from their deep, reddish brown color). Yuffie could not believe that such an androgynous person ever existed…nor could she believe that such a person could turn her on. And yet, for some reason, she knew that face from somewhere—those eyes had a heavy weight of sadness in them, with a hint of disillusionment and guilt. "I'm terribly sorry miss. I suppose I was spacing out when you ran into me…"

As she was helped up by the stranger, she took note of the body structure hidden with a red and black basketball jacket and a black pair of cargo pants using his hand—it was mostly delicate, but there was a hint of manliness hidden within…like a kind of lean and wiry strength one would expect from a sprinter, a deer, or even a cat of any sort. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine. It's just…please watch where you're going next time."

"Fair enough. But is it okay if I at least do something to help?"

"Yeah, take me to lunch and I'll call it even." Yuffie's eyes widened to the size of saucers upon hearing those words come out of her mouth…she had her share of dates (all of which seemed to have ended badly due to bad boyfriends), and even she knew that it would be a while before she could ask anyone for even a date. But to ask such a thing of a total stranger quite easily on the first day was unheard of to her.

"Are you asking me to a date?"

At this point, the color of her face a shade of red that would have put even blood to shame as she tried to fight the urge to stutter. The last thing she wanted was to make herself look any more foolish than she already had in front of this total stranger. "Um…actually forget about lunch. I think you've done enough by helping me up."

"Fair enough. I wish you a good day miss." As that was said, the stranger in red and black turned to look around, and started running off the second he saw that the pedestrian crossing sign had allowed him to cross. It looked to Yuffie that he was training for the marathon in earnest, although something about him seemed off…he looked and smelled like a regular civilian, but something about him screamed 'military background' and 'not from around here' to her. She simply shrugged it off, and continued jogging off to the restaurant called "Corazon Del Luna"…so far the one of the few reputable restaurants still in business in this neck of the woods, serving seafood dishes from Costa Del Sol and Gongaga-style churrasco. She had to buy lunch for Tifa and Aeris after all…and from the rumbling of her own stomach, thinking of lunch hasn't helped at all.

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><p>Twenty minutes later…Sunshine Fields Motel<p>

The room in the "Sunshine Fields Motel" was small, but it was enough for three people planning a heist to rid the slums of Don Corneo. Tifa had just gotten off from her exercises to find an escape vehicle that would be used to flee the scene of the crime. Their black van was already helpful in the past, but it was too high-profile…they needed something inconspicuous. Aeris on the other hand was busy hacking into the security system. Before either of them could say anything to each other, the door opened and in walked a sweaty Yuffie with two bags in her hands. "Lunch has arrived girls! Taco del pescados with an horchata for Tifa, and an arroz con pollo with iced tea for Aeris"

Tifa looked at her friend as she thankfully received her food and drink, and noted something off about her. "Yuffs, you okay?"

At this point, Yuffie was biting into her extra-spicy taco del pollo and cooling off her mouth with the iced tea. "Yeah, why Teef?"

"You seem a bit flustered."

"Oh, it's nothing, I just bumped into a guy on the way over."

Aeris seemed interested in this as she scooped up another spoonful of rice. "Again Yuffie? What is it with you and bumping into guys? Next thing you know, you're probably going to go out with him the second you see him again. What's he like anyway?"

She sighed as she had finished her taco and started on the side order of cheese-stuffed jalapeno. There was no fooling Aeris when she was interested in her love-life so she may as well tell the truth. "He was very tall, had long black hair, reddish brown eyes, and had this wiry kind of strength to him. I actually mistook him for a woman upon first meeting him. And don't bother asking for a name because I didn't ask; not that I had time to, because he ran off before I could even do so. By the way Aer, how's progress looking on the security system?"

"Well, I don't have control over the entire system yet," she began, starting to widen her grin, "but I do have access to their cameras!"

"Did you get an accurate number of guards?"

"I caught twenty guards on the interior, with probably an extra two or four in the camera room. At most, we're probably looking at about sixty-seven guards …all of them under Deepground employment, and equipped with what I assume are military-grade weapons and armor with twenty dogs for support."

Tifa's disbelief was very clear as she almost spat up the icy almond-flavored goodness of her drink through her nose. "That many? If that's the case, then I definitely don't see how the assassin's going to kill Corneo and get out scot-free…assuming of course he IS in the neighborhood…"

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><p>Wallace's Electronics…<p>

The stranger walked on over to the store, and crossed the threshold. He knew the owner very well…and it was time to bring out the shopping list. "So how goes the hunt?" The stranger turned to face a man he had not seen in a while—the speaker was a dark-skinned man slightly taller than him with the form of a champion bodybuilder or a wrestler.

"It is a very tough query. I can't get up close, so the only solution is long-range. Think you can set me up with something?"

"How much is the government paying?"

"Five-hundred grand."

The store-owner whistled. "Damn…now that is a good-sized bounty. Although I think I can set you up with something…you sure you're gonna be fine on this job Major Valentine?"

"I've saved the Avalanche Platoon more times than I could count with the intel I kept getting you guys…I'm very sure I can handle myself Colonel Wallace, even when I am no longer under your command. But are you okay helping an assassin like me?"

"It's the least I could do since you killed that monster that stole Marlene's mother from her—I hated it when the bastard walked free even after all the evidence was presented. Besides, I know you're not that kind of assassin. Anyway, come with me to the back, and I'll have a look at that shopping list of yours. If you're after Don Corneo, then there's no doubt that you're in need of bigger guns…"

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><p><em><strong>AN: I suppose I don't need to reveal the identity of the assassin…and to be honest, I've never played Mass Effect 2, but I find Thane to be a rather good character as an assassin, and so I decided to mix him with a bit of Garrus (sans the obsessive calibrating he is known for) when picturing Vincent here.**_

_**Here are the images for Vincent's outfit:**_

_**Jacket: **_http : / / www . csportsfashion . com / 20110317 / nike - kobe - vi - mens - basketball - jacket . html_****_

_**Pants: **_**_http : / / oneinallbooks . blogspot . com / 2010 / 07 / vintage - paratrooper - fatigues - black _ 30 . html_**

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><p><em><strong>Songs Used:<strong>_

"_**Killing Moon" by Hideki Okugawa from "Street Fighter III: 3**__**rd**__** Strike"—Yuffie gathering intelligence**_

"_**Nine-Tailed Demon Fox" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto"—Assassin in the Shadows**_

**_"Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz—Yuffie's jog_**

**_"Barrack Song" by Dan Paladin from "Castle Crashers"—Yuffie comes back with lunch_**

**_"Turks Theme" by Nobuo Uematsu from "Final Fantasy VII"—gun-shopping_**

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><p><em><strong>VocabularyCulture Notes:**_

_**Churrasco—Brazilian-style barbeque where the meat is already cooked, skewered, and sliced in front of you…lots of opportunities when wine is mixed in.**_

_**Taco del pescado—Spanish for 'fish tacos'**_

_**Horchata—a Spanish drink created during the Muslim presence in Spain made of ground almonds or rice**_

_**Arroz con pollo—Spanish for 'rice with chicken'.**_


	3. Shopping and Discovery

_**A/N: Shopping time…and the time for Corneo's death will be nigh…don't worry, I'll get to the romance soon enough. Until then, I hope this is not considered filler by some people's standards. Do read and review would you kindly?**_

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><p>Wallace's Electronics…<p>

Colonel Barrett Wallace was a military man that had seen his fair share of conflict. The proof of this was in his prosthetic arm which he had customized with a hidden .22 LR gun mounted in the wrist. After Shin-Ra's crackdown on all terrorist organizations was won, he eventually settled down, and married a single mother…he never thought he'd be as happy as when little Marlene came into his lonely life, which was why he was furious when the killer that murdered Carol practically got away with his crime scot-free. As he studied the shopping list that his fellow veteran had provided to him, he only whistled as he had calculated the sum amount of money owed. "Now that is a very expensive shopping list you got there…to be honest, it'd normally cost you more than half your salary on this job to pay for this, but seeing as you've done a lot for me during and after the war, I'll get you a 50% discount. You ordering your favorite gun, I can understand…but everything else seems to be overkill in my opinion."

"Look at it this way, Corneo's been arrogant all this time because he's practically untouchable. Threatening his jury at every court appearance, bribing judges, and fixing the trials in his favor in general…instead, think of it as payback with interest."

"Speaking of which, the 500 grand is the front payment right?"

"No…they're paying me in a lump-sum after the job is done; 500 if I kill Don Corneo, and 500 if I destroy the weapons shipment he stole. Either way, I win as this gives me a more flexible schedule because the Turks care more about making sure those weapons aren't in the wrong hands, and they can't reclaim them without looking foolish."

"How can you be certain that the Turks will uphold their end of the bargain?"

"They're very much aware that I'm more than capable of making their agents look incompetent should they work up the nerve to try and double-cross me."

Colonel Wallace simply let out a very booming laugh. "Yeah, that's right," he said, his laughter starting to die down, "now that you mention it, even during the war, the Turks knew not to fuck with you because even then you made them look all manner of stupid. Hell, I'm pretty sure even if they killed you, you'd have so many contingency plans that you'll continue to make them look stupid even from beyond the grave. In fact, I still remember you telling me about that time you played that prank on Brigadier Heidegger when he insulted Elena…that fat fuck's beard was pink for three weeks, and nobody knew it was you."

"Good times indeed."

"Well anyway, the ammo for your .45-cal and your tactical vest I can give you now, but your SMG, C4 demolitions packs with remote detonator, fragmentation grenades, incendiary grenades, and 5.56mm rifle are all going to have to wait a couple days. Really though, you'd think you were fighting a war with this much ordinance."

"In a sense, it is…it's just that my enemies now are crime bosses and terrorists."

"We've a lot of time before you get your stuff. You want to get a drink? My treat."

The second that Major Valentine heard of getting treated to a bar by Colonel Wallace, a migraine had started to develop in his head as memories had dredged up from the first time the good colonel treated him to a bar during war on terror in the Gongaga Campaign. It evoked memories of waking up with what would be the hangover from hell in the bed of a trashed up motel five miles away from camp with not one, but three naked women smiling and giggling at him with pleased and lustful looks in their faces. Needless to say, when the others found him in the motel after using a lot of machetes to hack their way to the building, many of them had jealous looks on their faces as opposed to his confused look. From then on, both him and Colonel Wallace were banned from any Shin-Ra Army drinking contests on that account, and because nobody was able to hold their alcohol as well as the two of them. "I'll come, under the condition that you don't challenge me to another drinking contest; the last time you did was a literal pain in my head."

Colonel Wallace simply chuckled. The predicament of the major at that time was very amusing to him…as that was the second and last time he challenged him to a drinking contest: on the last day of the war on terror, Barrett had challenged Valentine to another drinking match in celebration of their victory in the crackdown on terrorism using a dusty and unopened bottle of 1956 Maison du Robespierre Cognac…the match ended in a draw as usual, but what really disturbed the soldiers in the platoon was the fact that this time, Valentine was found almost ten miles away from camp in an apartment above a grocery store, with TEN naked women this time, the owner of the grocery store and several customers at the time included. At that point the soldiers were torn between envy that the normally reserved Major Valentine was capable of being such a lady-killer as to get ten women in bed with him, and bowing down to him as the apparent master of sex when inebriated. The only thing they did not envy however, was the brain-splitting hangover he had. Prior to his marriage, Wallace would have been jealous of Valentine; but now that he had Marlene in his life, he found himself wanting less in that area (although a part of him was still in need of companionship in that fashion). "Yeah…last thing we need right now is for you to start another scandal with the ladies. Meet me back here at 6…I'll take you there."

* * *

><p>1 hour later…The Shadow Market, Sector 5 Branch…<p>

The Shadow Market was a place that dealt with black market goods on a daily basis—not exactly a favorable place to be, but this was where Yuffie and her crew were sure to get the supplies they needed. There was almost nothing in the world you couldn't find here; military-grade guns and swords, illegal drugs and medicines, harvested organs, bootlegged media, stolen cars and jewelry, slaves…you name it, they sold it. "You have the shopping list in order?" asked Tifa, curiosity and concern getting the better of her. "Of course," replied Yuffie, "what kind of thief do you think I am if I'm shopping here? I know full well what goes on in the Shadow Market, and I'm a very good trader around here. And if they get any ideas, I've got you."

It was a good idea that Yuffie and Tifa left Aeris to continue hacking the property…even though she knew the person that owned this branch, that still didn't dismiss the fact that people tended to be kidnapped here and turned into slaves. In every branch, there was always some opportunistic and wannabe slaver wanting to make a quick gil from breaking and training slaves. As they finally reached their destination, they found themselves looking at a redhead with sunglasses and wearing no shirt underneath his indigo suit. That indigo suit was a uniform for the Turks. And judging from his disposition, she knew that it would be no surprise that she saw him with two half-naked women snuggling up to him at his sides. "Yuffie! How you been yo?"

"I've been better Reno. I see that the Turks let you get away with being a branch owner of this place."

"I managed to convince them that having me in this branch is a good thing in the long run…and so they let me. Although it was also under the condition that I don't work for them anymore yo…a real bummer, but all in all, business has been good so far—and the Turks will continue to give me good business as long as I maintain my policy of giving them discounts in my branch. But all that aside, I take it you're here to do some shopping?"

"Here's the list of things we need."'

The slip of paper was transferred from Tifa's hand to Reno's as he studied the list. By the time he finished, a look of shock had crossed his whitish skin while his eyes had widened. "Damn girl! I know you're a thief and all, but shouldn't this be overkill for you? I mean, what're you hitting yo? The Shin-Ra Materia Deposit?"

"No, the target I'm hitting is much smaller, but no less heavily fortified."

"You're hitting a goddamn house? Give me one good reason why I should not turn down this deal yo!"

"I don't have a good reason other than the fact that I'm doing this for personal reasons."

"How personal are we talking about?"

"The revenge kind of personal."

"Revenge on who?"

"The owner of 1667 Shadowmoore Place."

Reno's face had a look of realization upon it. Oh he knew who she was talking about…and as if to confirm his train of thought, he knew he had to say it. He didn't care that he said it in a dead voice. "That's Don Corneo's place yo."

"And what of it?"

"Girl, what the hell do you have against Don Corneo?"

"You tell me Reno…last I heard he never raped and killed your mother in front of you when you were a kid."

Upon hearing that, Reno knew that his question was answered. He may as well answer her as well…after all it would kill two birds with one stone. The two hookers saw that look on his face, and had the same grim look on their faces—oh they too remembered that day well. "Asshole came to me one day. Ordered a lot of high-grade military-specification weapons and armor…wouldn't tell me what for, and the payment was too good to be true. And on top of not paying his bill, the fucker went and raped one of my delivery girls before filling her guts with the lead I sold to him. Sent the entire body back to me in a trash bag with a note saying 'I like girls that fight back…makes things more challenging'…it was definitely not pretty, and she was definitely not returned to me in one piece."

Yuffie knew what he was talking about. Reno's behavior as a playboy and bravado hid the fact that he was actually the kind of person that actually cared. And before she could say anything, she was interrupted. "If you're looking for revenge against Don Corneo, then count me in yo…in fact, I'll get you what you need and maybe more. Hell, I'll even fuck every guy in the world if that's what it takes to get in. And I know what sort of stuff you steal…just make sure that when you throw that asshole in the slammer, see to it that he gets a kick in the balls from me yo."

"That can be arranged Reno. But as you may or may not have heard, we are on a tight schedule to steal from Corneo."

"You're talking about that assassin that's been killing all those high-profile crime bosses, right? Don't worry about it…you forget that I used to be a Turk; they wouldn't have let me in if I didn't have a quality they wanted. I'll pass information along to you if I hear anything…until then, consider your order placed and on the house."

* * *

><p>4:00 PM…<p>

The jog was enough to keep his adrenaline running. He had only half an hour before he would be meeting with Colonel Wallace, and in that time, Major Valentine needed to train up. Exercise would prepare him for the eventual attack he would stage. The Turks wanted it to look like an accident unlike the other assassinations he pulled…although they didn't specify what sort of accident. All the same, the fresh air would give him something to fuel his thoughts.

Before he could think on anything else, he felt an impact for the second time today. He only prayed that it was not who he thought it was. Unfortunately, his prayers went unanswered…as he once again ran into the Wutainese girl that bumped into him earlier today. "Watch where you're…"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were stalking me from how many times you were crashing into me today."

The Wutainese girl lost all coherent thought as she began to imitate a fish gulping for air while turning redder than a tomato. "Wait a minute…but you…I…but I…"

"And since this is the second time we've crashed into each other, I'll have to escort you to your place. Sound good?"

She couldn't find it in herself to refuse. "Oh all right…but try anything funny and I'll make sure that my friends kick your ass, am I clear?"

"Fair enough."

It was then that the two of them ran together. After the next few minutes, it would appear that the silence was too much for the younger runner. "So, you're training for the marathon as well I take it?"

"Yes. I thought doing marathons would be a good way to clear my head."

"What happened?"

"Oh nothing, I just quit my job a while ago. Now I'm trying to think of what to do next."

"I know what you mean. Whenever I'm confused, I feel that a bit of strenuous exercise does the trick of un-cluttering your mind…that and a good dinner."

"You're a member of the Nippon people aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged…although judging by the color of your eyes, I'd say you're Wutainese as well…Han I'm guessing?"

"I'm half-Han actually…my father on the other hand, was half-Nippon."

"No way! Can you speak either?"

"My mom spoke to me the Han dialect…so I'm very fluent at it. For the Nippon dialect, I have barely started to learn it in class."

"A lot of surprises to be honest…what did you do?"

"I used to work for the police."

"What precinct?"

"A bit heavy on questions aren't you?"

"The better I know somebody, the better off I'll be."

"So true, but as it stands, I'm not sure I'm ready to disclose that part of my past yet…too much pain if you get me."

"I hear that. Well, here's my stop. Where can I see you again?"

"I start my run through the park every morning. Perhaps you'll catch me there."

"Duly noted."

As he watched the Wutainese girl run off, Valentine couldn't help but review the details of this girl he had been running with. She had a very thin frame with a wiry strength underneath…no doubt that this girl had a history in acrobatics, and a bit of the martial artist's grace. She also had a bit of an innocence of youth within her eyes…despite the weight of pain that were hidden behind those coffee-colored pupils. She was hardy and yet beautiful, like the national flower of her people; the white rose…yes, this would be the best nickname he could find for this girl that had captivated his heart. Something not done since he first fell in love…something he swore not to do again, and yet it was happening again, and top it off it was with the daughter of Godo Kisaragi. Yes, maybe that drink with Barrett would be good for him now…

* * *

><p>Sunshine Fields Motel…<p>

Aeris knew her stuff…and now she was halfway done with the hacking. She need only a little more time to deal the finishing blow to the security of 1667 Shadowmoore Place. The news was blaring in the background as she was keying in the codes that would grant her control over the security system. She did make sure to do her stretches once in a while to ensure that she stayed healthy of course. Tifa on the other hand, was doing push-ups…no telling when she needs to help Yuffie out of a situation, although it would seem that she would be going in with her after all. "I'm back!"

"How was your run?" asked Tifa, sincerely concerned for her friend. "You won't believe who I bumped into!"

"You bumped into that guy again didn't you? I swear Yuffie, you're clumsy for someone who was once a captain of the high-school acrobatics team."

"Hey! Anyway, I think I may have found out something interesting about that guy."

"And that is?"

"He was carrying a gun."

Tifa's eyes widened. "Are you sure? If that's the case then that would mean…"

"I think I may have just found our assassin friend."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Oh dear, Yuffie knows that Vincent is the assassin; and Vincent has his suspicions about her identity…what's going to happen? I'm not sure how high up the tension scale is going to be at this point…but I'll see what I can write for the next chapter. Also, I have an intention on taking volunteer beta-readers for this story to help me with ideas and corrections_**…first one to volunteer gets the job.**_**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Songs Used:<strong>_

"_**Great Buddha Temple" by Noriyuki Asakura from "Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven"—Vincent Shopping**_

"_**Black Water" by Nobuo Uematsu from "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children"—Yuffie shopping and Reno joins her party**_

"_**Good Luck" by Basement Jaxx from "Appleseed"—Running together**_

"_**Resurrection" by Masashi Hamauzu from "Musashiden II: Blade Master"—Yuffie's revelation**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>VocabularyCulture Notes:**_

_**Han—a reference to a people in China…most Chinese people from the mainland are Han Chinese.**_

_**Nippon—another name for Japan**_

"_**Wo shuo Zhongwen, keshi wo ye shuo Riben yi dian."**__**—Mandarin for "I speak Chinese, but I also speak a little Japanese."**_


	4. Meeting

_**A/N: Here comes the early confrontation between Yuffie and Vincent…no romance yet, but they'll have the unveiling of each other's identities. Mark my words, there will be Mandarin spoken…and I'm debating as to whether or not I should translate the Mandarin dialogue for readers in the future…do read and review would you kindly?**_

* * *

><p>7:00 PM…The Blurry Moon Music Bar and Grill…<p>

Among one of the few places still reputable in the Sector 5 slums, the Blurry Moon was a very well-known place. Every night was a different genre of music that walked on up the stage and was performed. In addition to the exceptional quality of the basic restaurant necessities such as the food and service, the bar was well-known for one fact; it was one of the places where all up-and-coming musicians aiming to make it big in the world of entertainment would come and play. This was done to attract more customers, several of whom would be talent scouts for some big-name record companies. Its name was recorded in the book of legendary places due to the fact that many stars in the music world had their beginnings from succeeding their first ground-breaking performances at this very bar; for in the Blurry Moon, your performance on the stage will make or break you depending on your success…and all musicians know that is so because news always travels fast from this very bar.

It just so happens that tonight is Jazz Night, and the first band of the night stood on the stage. The red-head singer stepped up to the microphone, and tapped lightly to get everyone's attention…she looked like the usual green performer with her short and slightly disheveled hair, to the point that the dead could smell how fresh she was. Sure, she looked healthy and in good proportions for a woman her age, but the big question on everyone's minds was shown in the usual "is she any good" look. "I thank-you ladies and gentlemen for coming here tonight," she began, her voice was soft, showing nothing but the color of green in her, "I'd like to introduce myself, I am Elfe, and this is my band, the 'Black Mages'. Normally we play rock, but I'd like to play a cover song in order to kick off Jazz Night for you."

The second she finished her sentence, Elfe turned to her band and nodded. After that, she started to sing as the bassist and pianist followed.

_You had plenty money, 1922__  
><em>_You let other women make a fool of you__  
><em>_Why don't you do right, like some other men do?__  
><em>_Get out of here and get me some money too_

_You're sittin' there and wonderin' what it's all about__  
><em>_You ain't got no money, they will put you out__  
><em>_Why don't you do right, like some other men do?__  
><em>_Get out of here and get me some money too_

_If you had prepared twenty years ago__  
><em>_You wouldn't be a-wanderin' from door to door__  
><em>_Why don't you do right, like some other men do?__  
><em>_Get out of here and get me some money too_

_I fell for your jivin' and I took you in__  
><em>_Now all you got to offer me's a drink of gin__  
><em>_Why don't you do right, like some other men do?__  
><em>_Get out of here and get me some money too__  
><em>_Why don't you do right, like some other men do?__  
><em>_Like some other men do_

The waiter moved on to the table where the two men sat amongst the sound of clapping that was filling the air. He was carrying a tray with a rib-eye steak with vegetables, a chicken a la king with spaghetti, a glass of 1964 Clan McTavish Bone Village Whiskey, and a glass of 2009 Gaius Valerian Midgarian Chardonnay. Barrett simply looked on and watched as their orders had arrived. "Now that there is definite talent," he said, watching the singer as she sang her song, "and the best part of it is that she's home-grown…meaning that she's got a chance to get out of here even if this performance goes sour."

After taking in a twist of his spaghetti and a sip of his wine, Valentine looked to Barrett with curiosity in his eyes. "You know the singer?"

"Let's just say that Verdot was lucky that his daughter turned out to be such a looker."

The major simply looked down at his plate in apparent shame. "Captain Guillerme-Francois Verdot, a.k.a. 'Veld'…Mideelean Origin…45th Hellfire Spec Ops Squad. He was my second-in-command. Last I heard he transferred to the Turks along with several other members after the war on terror. I didn't hear of his fate until Elena came to me with the job. If I'd have heard that he was on that train, I would've put a bullet through Corneo's brain and killed his inner circle slowly the day I arrived at this hellhole he had created."

"Now don't you go and beat yourself up; you didn't know he was there, so nobody's to blame. Besides, now that you're on the hunt again, you can make it's safe for her for her to leave this place when she's ready."

"Understood."

"And since I've managed to catch your attention, you mind telling me what else is on your mind?"

"What makes you think that?"

"You've got this sort of distracted look in your eyes…one that I've not seen since a few months before your wedding. Now who caught your eye?"

Valentine simply sighed. Colonel Wallace was always known to be very perceptive…otherwise he wouldn't have made colonel if he were blind. And it was that perception that allowed him to stay married for a few years before Carol was murdered and Valentine went out to put that killer down. "I met a girl before coming here…"

"Is this the 'love' sort of intuition, or the 'other' intuition?"

"I'd definitely say that mostly it's the latter…."

"That mixed up?"

"You know a Godo Kisaragi right?"

"Who doesn't know of him? 9th Tsunami Spec Ops Company…served with him several times in the past. Was a Captain last I saw him…never saw him in the war on terror though. Damn good commander during the Mideel Conflict…last I heard, he leads a gang of vigilantes that are prepared to deal good old fashioned frontier justice should the legal way fail, not that I blame him of course. Government's too corrupt what with so many cops on the take…you should know that given your days after the war."

"Yeah, even SWAT was not free of corruption. Anyway, the reason I ask is because I have a sneaking suspicion that I met his daughter."

"You're serious? How do you even know she's his daughter?"

"My instincts have pointed me in that direction."

"Damn. You planning on seeing her again?"

"Most definitely; at least so that we can see where our interests lie."

"I'll drink to that. I only hope that you can come to a compromise if she turns out to be Kisaragi's daughter."

"You and me both."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Sunshine Fields Motel…<p>

The images running through Aeris' computer were being used to finding the identity of the assassin. It was very important that Yuffie knew the background and past of her friend-slash-enemy…after all, it was Sun Tzu who said "Know yourself and your enemy, and you need not fear the outcome of a hundred battles…" a saying that she was more than willing to follow should she need to work against him. "Long black hair, red eyes, and very angular features," began Yuffie, "and he's Han Wutainese."

In addition to her skills as a fighter and a driver, Tifa was also known as the artist of the trio…a skill that helped her whenever her boyfriend Cloud had called her up to help him with drawing pictures of suspects he was after. "Is this your assassin?" She held up the sketch pad for Yuffie to see.

"Yep, that's him."

"Then I know his name."

"What?"

"You remember that serial killer that murdered a pregnant wife in Sector 7 about a year ago? Hojo I believe his name was?"

"Yeah, unfortunately I've heard of him. The man was a murderous psycho that many were afraid of. The only eye-witness brave enough to testify against him was a husband who supposedly walked in and saw him stabbing his dead wife in the belly, and fighting said murderer off. A few weeks later, they caught Hojo and that murderous bastard was let go because the evidence was circumstantial, the eye-witness account was flimsy, and because he had Scarlett Townshend as his lawyer. Next month, Hojo was found dead in his home—with a knife wound in his stomach and across his throat just like his last murder victim. After that, those high-end assassinations started happening. I never did catch the name of that witness, but I remember clearly that it started with two of the same letter…it's on the tip of my tongue…"

"We're looking at Vincent Valentine."

It was then that Yuffie had a flash of recognition. Before she could think anymore on the subject, Aeris keyed in the name in the police database she had hacked, and pulled up a dossier before showing it to Yuffie. "Vincent Valentine, a member of the Sector 7 Special Weapons and Tactics unit as a major…prior to that, he served in the war on terror also as a major. He was previously attached to the 45th Hellfire Spec Ops Squad as its commander, and was also its sniper and recon specialist. Was married to Lucrecia Crescent, and resigned from SWAT a while after her death. After that, it kind of goes dark…nobody's heard from him since. If he's that assassin we're in competition with, then it all seems to fit."

Tifa looked to her friend with genuine concern in her eyes. This man's past so far was questionable, and so alarms were sounding off in her mind. "Are you sure you want to go meet him? His history so far is a bit questionable, and if he is the assassin, what makes you think he won't add you to the list of bodies he's accumulated so far?"

"I know that. That's why I'm having you follow us to our next meeting place just in case. And besides, I know exactly where he keeps his gun…ugh! I shouldn't have said that! Anyway, from that moment I bumped into him, I know where he keeps both weapons, so I still have a contingency should he decide to shoot me up or stab me…besides this is an opportunity for us to see the face of our rival up close…and maybe have a little chat…"

* * *

><p>The next morning, 10:40 AM Greene Park…<p>

Much of the Sector 5 Slums is a dreary place with few places giving sparkles of light. The sad thing however was that before Don Corneo took power and started leeching money off almost everyone in Sector 5 (he had little success with the upper class citizens), the place was a model sector where everyone wanted to live. Now however, corruption found its claws gripping tightly around the city in both the slums and the high-class district as police officers, lawyers, and even judges were on the take…and nobody was guaranteed to live very long. Greene Park was one of the few places untouched by the taint of the disease Corneo brought with him…but even today, it was no surprise to be seeing homeless people sleeping on benches with police officers taking advantage of any moment for police brutality. However, if one ignored the vagrants finding ways of constructing makeshift bedding here and there, it was still a very beautiful place…as if its purity was anathema to the darkness that plagued the sector.

It was a beauty that Valentine noted as he stretched in front of the benches. If he was going to get to know the girl that he would likely be working with, he may as well prepare himself for a jog. "You been waiting long?" asked a voice from behind him, "No, not too long," he said, "I was just stretching as a matter of fact."

"Good…because I was planning on treating you to lunch today after we run."

"Is this a date?"

"If you want it to be."

"I honestly haven't been on the dating scene in a while. I'm pretty sure you'll be disappointed."

"Let me be the judge of that."

* * *

><p>Nearby…<p>

Tifa watched carefully with her binoculars in the car nearby. Yuffie was like a sister to her, and watching her jogging with a certified assassin was not very comforting for her. But she still had the training from being a part of the Army reserve to know how to handle herself with a gun. Being in the 957th Avalanche Platoon, Cloud had told her one or two things about the 45th Hellfire Squad he'd heard; among those rumors he heard was they were known for causing untold amounts of destruction involving fire, hence the nickname and their motto being "Nostrum hostilis vadum exuro", and this was shown by the fact that they favored using incendiary rounds. They were also known to be one of the stealthiest members attached to Avalanche Platoon, and so it was no surprise that they were mostly called upon for recon missions as well…a given that they are practically a commando squad.

She knew that given his training as a commando, he was very well-versed in the art of unconventional warfare and was more inclined to fight dirty if in a hand-to-hand situation, but she was not taking any chances with him…which was why she brought a handgun with her just in case it came to a firefight. And the fact that she drove in such a manner that it was not noticeable to the runners made her job as security all the easier…all she had to do was follow them to the restaurant, and get a table close to them so that she could pull Yuffie out should things go south.

* * *

><p>11:30 AM, Dongxing Jiujia<p>

Forty-five minutes of running had been training enough for now it seemed, as the two runners found themselves at the Han Wutainese restaurant known as Dongxing Jiujia. It wasn't long until they got a table and sat down. The waiter waited for the two of them to sit down before he asked, "Ni xiang he shenme cha?"

"Gei women Tie Guan Yin cha ba."

"Hao ah! Xie xie ni." Once said, the waiter soon left. The Yuffie simply watched and waited until she was sure that the waiter was out of earshot. "You seem well-versed in the Han dialect."

"Of course, I grew up in an area where there were a lot of Han people. I didn't become fluent in Basic until high-school."

Yuffie sighed…oh she knew it was not going to be easy to get out of this alive. But the fact that Tifa had arrived and managed to get a seat next to them had assured her that now she was protected should things go badly. "Why don't we just cut to the chase," she said moving closer, and lowering her voice, "I know you're an assassin Major Valentine."

His red eyes had widened briefly, and then he settled down…as if he wasn't surprised she found out. Just after he settled down, the waiter came back with a white teapot and two cups, and left. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," he began, after waving a waitress and ordering some shrimp dumplings, "given that I have encountered one Kisaragi Godo…he is your father isn't he?"

Her eyes had widened in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Everybody in the army knew your father, or at least knew of him. I met him once in passing, but I can see aspects of him in you…he had this sort of aura that spoke of honor, principle, and a hint of stubbornness that you have. Although I can tell that you probably got your brains from both him and your mother."

"Very observant, the name's Yuffie by the way."

"You can call me Vincent."

"A pleasure…but there is just one important question at the moment."

The raised eyebrow she saw him give her was cue enough, but his eyes told her that he had a pretty good idea. "If the question is 'what do we do now?' then I'm right there with you."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: I'm so evil…I thought a cliffhanger would've been a good idea here. Some however, may be inclined to disagree I'm afraid. Anyway, I'm taking beta-reader requests for this story, and so anyone who volunteers will be welcome to help.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Songs Used:<strong>_

"_**Why Can't You Do Right?" Jessica Rabbit cover from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"—First song in Blurry Moon**_

"_**Evil" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto"—Studying up on Vincent**_

"_**Afternoon of Konoha" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto"—Jogging**_

"_**Fisherman's Song of the East China Sea" from "Kung Fu Hustle"—having dim-sum**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>VocabularyCulture Notes:**_

"_**Nostrum hostilis vadum exuro"—Latin for "Our enemies shall burn"**_

"_**Dongxing Jiujia"—Mandarin for "East Star Restaurant"**_

_**Tie Guan Yin—a kind of Chinese green tea…very popular, and is commonly ordered when eating dim-sum**_

_**Ordering dim-sum—in the traditional manner of ordering dim-sum (in the U.S. and in certain parts of China), the dim-sum is pushed around and cooked on special carts to be served to people that ask for it, you need only wave in the waiter/waitress pushing the cart and ask them for what they have and tell them what you want (have the check ready so they can stamp it so it can be tallied up later). Nowadays in a lot of places (especially in Canada, being a permanent resident), the restaurant gives you a menu with check boxes so that you can mark how many of each dish you want and they will give it to you the way European restaurants do. Either way, the very first thing you do before ordering any food is to tell the waiter what sort of tea you want, as having dim-sum is about the Chinese equivalent of "Tea Time", only you usually order the salty dishes first.**_


	5. Gambling with The Demon

**_A/N: Gambling…I seem to like adding that to a story once or twice. No action yet, I am sorry to say, but I promise you a bit more will be done in the next chapter…but all the same, do read and review, would you kindly?_**

* * *

><p>Dongxing Jiujia…<p>

"It would appear that we are at an impasse," began Vincent, picking up his shrimp dumpling with his chopsticks and dipping it in some mustard, "I have recently been contracted by the Turks to do a bit of their sweeping and evidence destruction, and you've been hired to make sure my target goes to jail. Makes me wonder how we're going to solve this little dilemma…"

"You could just walk away from all this, and find another contract," Yuffie said finally, biting down on her shumai and downing it with tea, the pride in her voice, "I'm pretty sure that a sweeper like you can find other ways of putting food on the table…"

Vincent sighed as he reached for a cha-siu bao. "I'm doing this mainly because I don't want him to start a big gang war with all the stuff he stole. If I know my research on Corneo, he's the sort of criminal that fancies himself a lion before a kingdom of helpless animals. That's why he's able to take advantage of the fact that the jury is too afraid to say he's guilty of his crimes…that, and he has a lot of corrupt judges in his pocket and an army of lawyers so evil and unethical that they would much rather strangle babies in their cribs right in front of their mothers over a penny than to lose a single case. The way I see it, death is the only way to end his reign of terror…other than that, you have to bring irrefutable proof that he's guilty of all his crimes; proof that even those same corrupt judges cannot deny, and that will make the jury grow a spine. However judging from how efficiently that Corneo gets rid of all evidence connected to him, even his rape victims, I highly doubt that you'll be able to put him in jail at all."

"How do you know this? I thought sweepers were only paid to close the curtains on someone, not to think."

"You'd be surprised how much money talks…just play the new kid on the block, and you'll have a lot of information at your fingertips. Whether or not any of it is accurate is debatable…however, given my experience in fighting terrorism, that ability comes a little easier for me. Besides, I don't take every contract that comes my way…even I have standards, as much as you do."

"Such as?"

"Rule one for me is that every target is investigated before the contract is taken. Depending on what I see in my week of watching the target, I may decide on whether or not the target is worth hitting. And to be honest from what I've read and seen of this place the day he took over, I never needed to research Corneo for any more than to watch his movements."

"Judging from your style so far, you seem to like engaging your marks up-close and personal. How are you going to get Corneo when he never leaves that fortress of a home he lives in? Not that I'm not rooting for you to silence him of course, I'm just saying…how are you even going…to get…up…" It was then that Yuffie realized her train of thought…she knew that getting up close to Corneo would be difficult now that he was in his fortress, and she also knew that although Vincent had so far proven that he was no slouch in close-quarters battle, he served in Spec Ops as a sniper; who said anything about getting Corneo in close-quarters with so many obstacles hindering a close encounter, when he could save himself the trouble by making it look like an amateur assassin with a grudge did it from long range?

"Perhaps we can work an accord…that is, if you're willing to hear it."

"You want me to call my dad, tell him that there's no way Corneo's going to jail?"

"Correct and on the first try…although I'd like to tell him of why I have a stake in it myself, I'm pretty sure he'd want my head on a spike for accepting a contract from the Turks."

"Yeah, he never really liked them."

"Then how about we just end his reign altogether? Call your father; tell him that it's impossible to get evidence. You do that, and I'll make sure you get to see Corneo die."

"What makes you think I haven't killed anyone before?"

"Call it an instinct…I think that you plan your operations so well that you never needed to kill anyone. Now it's different…this plan would mean condemning that pig to death. Are you sure you can handle the sight of death?"

"I've been able to handle it for a while now…I'm just not comfortable doing it myself. As to Corneo however, I've been preparing myself for that day I get to watch him die. Anyway, I don't believe that there's no way he'll ever be caught and thrown in jail, but how about we make a bet?"

"I am intrigued…to think that you'd make a wager with me. You do realize that you're dealing with an assassin am I correct?"

"So? I can be just as sneaky. But anyway, my bet is that I can get evidence on Don Corneo that literally throws him in jail before you can erase him. We both have five days to do our jobs…if I can't get any solid evidence on him in that time frame, you can collect on your gil. If I win, you will owe me the amount of money you would've earned for this job."

"Very well then, it seems fair considering how long it may take for my gear to arrive; but if I win, you have to give up your materia collection and thieving. But how about we up the stakes? My contract simply said that I had to torch the evidence of Corneo's theft and or terminate him…you manage to stop me from doing either, then I will turn myself in to the authorities, no strings attached."

Yuffie looked at her opponent in disbelief…her plan was to use the money to make him back off, she never expected him to be the high-risk, high-reward sort of gambler. That, and she was wondering why he would turn himself in. "If you beat me, then my reputation goes down…as it stands, I already have a hard enough time getting work as a sweeper, and for everyone to know that I lost to you means that it's even harder to find work, so I may as well turn myself in if that's the case."

As she listened, she could tell that there was something in his voice that spoke of something else—she was wondering just what it was that she was hearing. But perhaps she'll find out when she beats him. Before long, she saw him raise one hand, and upon getting a nearby waiter's attention, he made a gesture with his other hand as if he were scribbling on a notepad…he was calling for the check. The waiter walked on over, tallied up the requests, and wrote down a price before handing it back to Vincent. As he was reading the bill, Yuffie grabbed it, and studied it for herself…her eyes widening as she saw that the meal cost 2500 gil! As she was in the middle of her thoughts, she felt something pelting her head…once she found out what it was she was being hit with, Yuffie then turned to see it was an angry little kid flinging rice at her. The poisonous look she gave made her line of thought very clear: oh, somebody gonna get a hurt REAL BAD…somebody! She's not gonna say who.

Once she turned her attention back to Vincent, she found that he was gone, the check was also gone, and the waiter had a happy grin on his face walking away from the table upon seeing the amount of money. The bastard paid for lunch, and left! Okay, if that's the case, then that kid just got lucky! She got up, and walked to the nearby table where Tifa was eating an egg tart, obviously having listened to the whole conversation. "We're seeing Reno now…"

* * *

><p>Wallace's Electronics, 2 hours later…<p>

Barrett had just been filled in on the bet. Suffice to say, he was not exactly happy. "And how many days do we have?"

"We agreed to five days."

"And your deadline is when?"

"Corneo is not going to do anything for a while now…but she will more than likely have enough time to get evidence as I have enough time to get my weapons."

"Major, what the fucking hell were you thinking?"

"I just wanted to make things more exciting…there's the chance of failure, and there's also the chance of success. Besides, either way this sector wins; and while I wait, I may as well do her and the world a favor…by taking care of all those corrupt lawyers affiliated with Don Corneo."

"Why'd you up the stakes like that though? What do you gain from going to jail?"

"It's the hope that the impossible can very much be possible."

"I don't understand."

"I doubt you ever will…until she wins. By the way, what's the status on my order?"

Barrett simply sighed. When the major was this engrossed in a bet, he was always the type to see it through whether he won or not—adrenaline from the possibility that he may lose? Maybe. However, he simply smiled as he pulled out a large suitcase from under the counter. "Well, on a lighter note, you have a package waiting for you. Take it upstairs, and get yourself reacquainted with your old buddy from the war. I'll let you know when the other orders have arrived."

Vincent took the suitcase in one hand before walking up the stairs. "Thanks…but I have one more question…do you think you can order 'her'?"

Wallace simply looked on at Valentine with a question mark over his head. It was not the 'her' that he was asking about, as he knew what 'she' was. The question was in the reason he would ask for 'her'. "I know some people who are willing to part with one of 'her'…why do you ask?"

"I'm sorry for the last-minute request, but would you please place an order for 'her'? I'll pay whatever you want, because I have that feeling again."

Oh he knew what that meant. Wallace always knew to trust in those 'feelings' that Valentine gets—usually whenever this happens, something unexpected occurs that changes things in any mission. The first time that happened was in the Mt. Nibel range one particularly snowy winter; the commander at the time didn't listen to Valentine's intuition, thinking it was a bunch of bull—it also didn't help that the man was a white supremacist, thinking everyone with an origin outside of the Midgar-Nibelheim area were a bunch of cavemen and hillbillies. For his intuitive guesswork and analysis, Valentine was tied up and whipped before being made to clean latrines and to peel potatoes in camp. As it turned out, the terrorists had set a trap earlier and used an avalanche with a disguised animal noise in order to cut off all means of escape for the camp—when the trap was finally sprung, the camp was fired upon and the commanding officer then was killed in the ensuing firefight. All terrorists were killed, and most of the soldiers survived when Vincent took command; after that day he was propelled from being a nobody foot-soldier with nothing but basic boot camp training behind him, to a hardcore special operations Major in charge of the Hellfire Squad.

Sure, that gun in the case would get the job done, but whenever he asked for 'her' at the last minute, Wallace knew that whatever it was that troubled Valentine was likely going to require all the firepower she can bring to bear. Ah well, he may as well let him get reacquainted with his favorite gun in the meantime…

* * *

><p>Meanwhile…Shadow Market, Sector 5 Branch…<p>

Reno's two pets had snuggled up to him, pleasuring his member with their tongues. He groaned in pleasure as they licked up and down from under his desk…and it was the pleasurable sort of torture he was going through at this very moment. Just as one of the pets engulfed his member with her mouth, the door slammed open, causing him to fire a shot down the woman's throat, and making her choke on it. "Seriously Reno, do you really have to bring your pets to work?"

"Hey! Being the head of a branch is hard work yo! You never know when the next day's gonna be your last. What do you want anyway?"

Yuffie simply smiled. "Oh nothing, just checking up on the status of my deliveries."

The air of irritation was clear when Reno sighed. "Your tools will be here soon yo, but I highly doubt you simply came here just to get a status update. Something's on your mind."

"I just came to tell you don't have to find the assassin, because I found him out already."

"So? What do you need me for?"

"You served in the War on Terror right?"

"Yeah? What of it?"

"What can you tell me about the 49th Hellfire Spec Ops Squad?"

Reno had a confounded look in his eyes before he simply laughed as he recalled his days back in the war. "What don't I know about them? You're looking at a former member of that squad as a matter of fact. We raised all sorts of hell by setting bases on fire so that the other soldiers could gun down the terrorists running away like a sort of duck hunt. Although I wonder; why are you asking about them in the first place, yo?"

"The assassin was your commanding officer."

If his eyes held confusion before, now it was a good deal of horror before it melded into realization. "So 'The Demon' is that assassin that's been killing those big-time crime bosses. Not a surprise considering what happened to his wife and Hojo getting away with it. I suppose the poor man has lost his faith in the law after that day…so he became a professional assassin against crime bosses. Hojo was stupid to have messed with him."

"How well do you know him?"

"Before he came to the unit, not much yo…only that he came from Nibelheim—his ma was Han Wutainese, and his dad was a half-Nippon native. But if you're looking to know about him once he joined the unit, I will say this; he is a Turk's worst enemy…unless you served under his command, then not so much. Why? Because the man can make us Turks look like freaking idiots…and he's not even a spy. I still remember that time Old Heidegger found that his beard was dyed pink—that and on the same day, he also had a non-poisonous snake wake him up in bed. The man had never looked more stupid than on that day—nobody knew who did it, but I have a feeling that Valentine was responsible for that, because Heidegger beat down on my squad-mate simply because she was a woman. From then on, all Turks new and old knew not to mess with him…and especially not to double-cross him."

Yuffie had to stifle a giggle—who knew that Valentine could be such a prankster? And the fact that he defended that squad-mate suggests that he was pro-women's rights. "What if I told you that I made a bet with him that says I have to get evidence to send Corneo to jail?"

"I'd say you're crazy, yo…Valentine's not the sort of man to give up whenever he's been challenged to a bet; which is part of the reason why we never invited him to drinking contests." Upon hearing her silence, Reno's face furrowed as he made the connection. "You didn't!"

Yuffie was walking towards the doors. Her voice was now teasing. "Get those supplies as soon as you can…if you want to stick it to Valentine."

The second he heard the door close, Reno knew that this bet was on…despite his horror at this situation, he simply grinned as things just got more exciting…

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Russell Peters is a very funny man…I especially like the "somebody gonna get a hurt real bad" line. Now who do you think is going to win? Will Yuffie be able to send Corneo to jail? Or will Vincent terminate the fat monster first? Comment on the victor, would you kindly?_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Songs Used:<em>**

**_"Spanish Waltz" by Urbanus from "Castle Crashers"—Lunch and a Bet_**

**_"Kokoro no Hadaka" from "Rurouni Kenshin"—Vincent's package has arrived_**

**_"Sexy" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto"—Reno getting pleasured_**

**_"The Clandestine Dark Suits" by Takeharu Ishimoto from "FFVII: Crisis Core"—Reno and Yuffie discuss Vincent_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>VocabularyCulture Notes:_**

**_Shumai—a very common item for dim-sum, it's a small dumpling with a ground meat filling (usually pork) mixed with mushroom, and usually topped with such things as shrimp and flying fish roe._**

**_Cha-siu Bao—another common item in dim-sum…it's a steamed bun filled with barbecued pork, sweet and salty at the same time because of the sauce used to marinate the pork and make the filling._**

**_Fighting for the bill—in Chinese culture, being the one to pay the bill for a meal gives you more face than the person who doesn't…hence why once or twice, there's an argument with 'Wo qing ke!' ('it's my treat!') on both sides._**


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